Lesson 5: 1st Declension Nouns

As we begin this lesson the student needs to be reminded that learning Greek is like washing an elephant. We have washed a little, and we have a lot more to go. But don't get discouraged! Stick with it and the rewards will far outweigh the trouble.

Vocabulary:

a0gaph- love

ei0rhnh- peace

a0lhqeia- truth

e0kklhsia- church

a(martia- sin

e0ntolh- commandment

basileia- kingdom

h(mera- day

glwssa- tongue

maqhthj- disciple

grafh- writing, Scripture

messia- messiah

didach- teaching, instruction

parabolh- parable

doca- glory

profhthj- prophet

ASSIGNMENT: write and memorize this vocabulary list.

This lesson will help the student recognize and translate 1st declension nouns. The student is urged to review lesson 4 and its description of the various cases. They also apply here, as in 2nd declension nouns.

The following table must be memorized:

Singular

Plural

Case

- a

-ai

nominative

- aj

-wn

genitive

- a|

-aij

locative, instrumental, dative

- an

-aj

accusative

These endings are simply added to the stem of the feminine nouns of the 1st declension (masculine nouns of the 1st declension are different): for example:

Singular

Plural

Case

basilei + a

basilei + ai

nominative

basilei + aj

basilei + wn

genitive

basilei + a|

basilei + aij

locative, instrumental, dative

basilei + an

basilei + aj

accusative

Easy, right? Well it gets a little complicated now. For when the stem of a noun ends in j, ll or a double consonant (z, c, s, y) then the following table applies:

Singular

Plural

Case

- a

-ai

nominative

-hj

-wn

genitive

-h|

-aij

locative, instrumental, dative

-hn

-aj

accusative

As before, these endings are simply added to the stem of the noun. And, as before, these endings must be memorized.

Now, when a 1st declension noun is masculine in gender, then it has the following endings:

Singular

Plural

Case

-aj

-ai

nominative

-ou

-wn

genitive

-a|

-aij

locative, instrumental, dative

-an

-aj

accusative

ASSIGNMENT: Memorize the table above.

Now we can turn to our last item of business in this lesson; an examination of the definite article. Greek has no indefinite article (the english "a" or "an"). The definite article is declined like any other noun, in the following manner (in the masculine, feminine and neuter genders):

Singular

Masculine

Feminine

Neuter

Nominative

o (

h (

to

Genitive

tou

thj

tou

Loc., Ins., Dat.

tw|

th|

tw|

Accusative

ton

thn

to

Plural

Masculine

Feminine

Neuter

Nominative

oi(

ai(

ta

Genitive

twn

twn

twn

Loc., Inst., Dat.

toij

taij

toij

Accusative

touj

taj

ta

ASSIGNMENT: Memorize the table above, and translate the following sentences: